


what could've been

by glutenfreechexmix



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Cute and Harmless, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:00:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28125768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glutenfreechexmix/pseuds/glutenfreechexmix
Summary: Sonia and Gundham go for a date at the amusement park!
Relationships: Sonia Nevermind/Tanaka Gundham
Comments: 10
Kudos: 51





	what could've been

Sonia was a few minutes late, and she panted as she ran up the street. She’d dressed nicely, but not to the point where she wouldn’t blend in as a normal civilian. Her hair had been pulled back into its usual style, but a few strands hung within her vision, loosened from moving so fast. Her skirt swayed around her, and she’d worn white leggings under it to keep her warm- it was already getting to be later in the afternoon, and she secretly hoped that she’d be able to stay out long enough that it got dark. It meant she’d have an excuse to get closer to him for warmth-

She clapped her hands on her cheeks as she slowed to a jog. How unbecoming of her, to think like that! This was just their first date, and Gundham had already told her about his curse. There was no way he’d let her touch him. It was for her own safety, after all.

She came to a stop at the entrance of the amusement park, leaning over and putting her hands on her thighs to brace herself, catching her breath. She’d always been athletically inclined, but the trip from the station to the park had been a long one, even for her. As she stared at the ground, a shadow came over her, and a familiar pair of black boots appeared in her vision. She looked up, trying to suppress a goofy grin as she met his eyes.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said as she stood up, smoothing out her outfit and tugging on the sleeves of her jacket to pull them down. “I didn’t mean to make you wait so long.”

“For you, I’d wait as long as I needed to,” he replied quickly, then paused, looking away. “A-as you are a woman of similar talents to mine. It would be foolish of me to leave you behind. Besides, I was forced to leave my Dark Devas of Destruction at home for this particular outing. My mother said they don’t allow ‘pets’ at the amusement park. I tried to tell her that they weren’t my ‘pets,’ but my companions on this path that I must forge for myself, my allies in this…” He trailed off, realizing he’d been talking for a while, and a bit of color rose to his cheeks.

“That’s a shame, I’d have loved to see them again.” Sonia giggled behind her hand, then reached into her bag, pulling out two tickets and offering one to him. “Maybe another time, then?”

He took the ticket with a nod, seemingly relieved. “Yes, of course. I believe they’ve taken a liking to you, as they recognize power and potential.”

“Really?” She gasped, smiling brightly.

“Yes.” He gestured at the entrance. “Let’s start our journey, shall we?”

Sonia nodded, and they made their way to the entrance. It wasn’t very crowded at all, as they’d gone only about two hours before the closing time. Even so, she noticed Gundham scanning the small crowd, face scrunched into an odd expression that was hard for her to read. He’d never struck her as a very sociable person, so it was interesting that he invited her here, of all places, to go out. He seemed like the kind of young man who would prefer something more quiet and private over a public venue. She certainly wasn’t complaining, though- she hardly ever got the chance to go to amusement park, what with her parents being so strict about where she went. She certainly hadn’t been able to go on any of the more intense rides like she wanted to.

Once they were inside, she found herself a little bit overwhelmed. The people bustling past, the distant sounds of a variety of voices, the smell of food. The bright colors of the rides and the decorations that contrasted with the gray, cloudy sky and the chilly wind. A Ferris wheel towered over it all, spinning slowly and almost soothingly.

“Well!” She said, clapping her hands together and turning to Gundham. “What should we do first?”

“It’s all meaningless. Strange machines that only exist for mortal’s pleasure, to make them….’happy.’ Joy is a fleeting emotion, you can only hold on to it for so long before it disappears forever, leaving you with nothing but a bittersweet memory.” Gundham muttered, still facing forward.

She cocked her head to one side and raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying you’ll let me choose?”

“Well-...” he hesitated. “Yes.”

She laughed softly to herself, then turned in a circle, looking for a place to go. There was so much to choose from, it was difficult to decide. She tapped her finger on her chin, then suddenly pointed. “There! It looks like fun.”

It was a bright purple rollercoaster, tall but not absurdly so, with loops and turns. As she looked at it, a group of people went by in one of the cars, and their screams and shouts zipped past briefly. It made her smile. This whole experience felt so…raw, unfiltered. Even the litter on the ground, the pieces of gum stuck to various surfaces, it all felt _real._

She turned back to Gundham, finding him looking a little paler than usual.

“Are you alright?” She asked, stepping forward, then stopping herself.

“Yes, I’m fine. I’ve just…never gone on a machine that intense before. I worry that the extra adrenaline will make my dark magic overflow, therefore projecting my curse onto everyone else on the ride.” He said curtly, and they made eye contact for a moment.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?” She smiled, and he nodded after a moment.

“That is true. You bring a good point.”

Without another word, he began walking past her, straight towards the rollercoaster. His stance and gait were a bit stiff, though. He must’ve been nervous, and just didn’t want her to know. She felt her face soften a bit, and jogged after him. She was only a few inches shorter than him, but it felt as though his legs were incredibly long compared to hers, so she found it difficult to keep up.

As they got in line, she briefly glanced around at the other people. There were only a few in line for this particular ride, so the wait probably wouldn’t be very long. Gundham shifted on his feet next to her, tantalizingly close, so close that she could hear his clothing rustling and his breathing even above all the other noise. She clapped her cheeks again, as softly as possible so he wouldn’t notice. She wasn’t nervous at all, even as they got closer to the front of the line, but she noticed him shifting more and more and swallowing.

She wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to do it if he didn’t want to, but she knew he’d take that as an insult to his pride or something along those lines. Hopefully he didn’t get sick on the ride or anything like that.

As they stepped up to the cart, she slipped into her seat first, looking up at Gundham. He was tightening his scarf around his neck, somewhat anxiously, and she almost spoke up anyways, but after a moment he sat down next to her. The employee pulled the bar over them, and she gripped it excitedly, some of her worries for him melting away as anticipation started to rise in her chest.

The ride started with a slight jerk, and she grinned as they started to move.

It didn’t take long for the wind to start whipping past her face, and she felt her hair flying out behind her. She made a happy, if rather undignified “whoop!” noise as they started to climb up. She laughed at herself, gripping the bar tighter and throwing her head back. The sky had started to clear, and the sun was getting close to setting, so bright splashes of color were painted across it, stretching on for infinity. She only lowered her head when they reached the climax- the end of the tall hill that dropped off steeply. They lingered at the top for a moment, which gave her a chance to look over at Gundham.

To her surprise, he was looking back at her, with a surprisingly soft expression. He quickly looked away when she turned to him, and seemed to remember the looming drop in front of them, which made his hands tighten on the bar. She found her heart pounding all of the sudden, but she dismissed it as being subconsciously nervous for the drop. The debate only lasted in her head for a few seconds, though, as before she knew it they were plummeting down. She was screaming gleefully, though the wind whipped the noise away from her ears. She felt as though she was floating, and much of the pressure in her body released. She put her hands above her head, enjoying the feeling of the air tearing past them.

It was over much too fast, and the ride came to a sudden stop after a short return to its original location. She found herself breathless as the bar was raised and they got out, with her being first this time. She turned around a little too quickly as Gundham got out, and they were very close to each other for a split second before she stepped back.

“Are you alright?” She asked him, trying to keep the laughter from her voice.

“Something like that could never falter a Dark Overlord like me!” He laughed menacingly, but his voice quivered slightly.

In the moment of silence that followed as they left the ride’s area meant that she could hear it loud and clear as there was a guttural growl from his stomach. She covered her mouth with her hand, to muffle her snicker, and asked as politely as possible, “do you want to get something to eat?”

“Perhaps some sustenance would be helpful,” he mumbled, pulling his scarf up over his nose.

“I saw a place selling hot dogs over there! I’ve always wanted to try one!” She turned and started moving away, and she felt a hand close around her arm, then immediately let go. Her eyes widened and she whipped around, seeing Gundham with his arm outstretched.

“I-I acted impulsively, I apologize!” He said frantically. “Surely you must be in excruciating pain-“

“I’m fine, see? It’s okay.” She smiled gently, reaching out and brushing her fingers against his arm to show him that she really was alright. He seemed to relax and nodded.

“It seems you really do have the potential to be a very powerful ruler,” he said. “I wanted to make sure I didn’t lose you in the crowd, as you were running ahead on your own. That might become a difficult situation, as without my Devas it might be difficult to find your location.”

“Oh, is that all?” She thought for a moment. “Then let’s hold hands, that way we don’t lose each other.”

“H-hold hands?” Gundham raised his eyebrows (or lack thereof). He shifted his weight onto one foot, tapping the toe of his boot on the ground, and avoided meeting her eyes. “Is that what…normally happens at outings like these?”

“I wouldn’t know, this is my first time being on one. But I assume so. I’ve seen plenty of other young…” No, not couples, Sonia. That’s not the word you’re looking for. “…pairs doing it, so it must be the norm. So, what do you think?”

“I suppose it’s… not a bad idea.” He looked down at her hand for a moment, then picked it up with one of his. They were still wrapped in bandages, so it wasn’t exactly skin-to-skin contact, but she didn’t mind. It sent a jolt of warmth through her whole body, and she found herself blushing, patting her cheek with her free hand.

He barely gave her any time to recover before he started walking away, pulling her along with him gently. Her heart was beating slightly faster than usual, but she did her best to ignore it as they made their way to the hot dog stand through the crowd. She noticed from the way he gripped her hand that he was still quite tense.

It took them only a few minutes to get there through the crowd, but to her it felt like an eternity. They stepped up to the stand together, but she noticed that he didn’t speak at all, leaving her to order for both of them and hope that he liked it. When she was done, she took the two hot dogs, both of which were in cheap plastic containers, and set them down at a table nearby where Gundham sat. She took her own seat across from him.

“I wasn’t sure what you would like,” she said. “So I just ordered us both the same thing! That way if we don’t like it, we can do it together!”

She picked up the hot dog, turning it around in her fingers and inspecting it. Some of the ketchup seeped through the bread, and a bit of it got onto her skin, so she quickly took a bite before setting it down and politely wiping her hand off on a napkin. She raised her eyes, finding Gundham staring at her again. Just like last time, he quickly looked away as soon as they made eye contact.

“Are you alright?” She asked. “You’re awfully quiet.”

“Ah, yes, I’m fine.” He leaned back in his seat, then picked up the hot dog and took a hesitant bite, before scarfing it down almost animalistically. He must’ve been really hungry. She finished hers much slower, and as she was starting to get up to throw the trash away, he did it instead, tossing everything in a nearby garbage can and turning to her. He tugged on his coat, clearing his throat. “I have…a request to make.”

“A request? What is it?”

“The…large, circular metal machine. I would like to see what the view is like from up there.” He nodded, and she felt a smile creeping onto her face. Is that what he was so nervous about? He could’ve just asked!

“Sure, but we’d better get over there before it gets too dark!” She stood up, brushing any loose crumbs off of herself and fixing her hair for a moment.

He didn’t respond, turning away and heading in the direction of the Ferris wheel. She followed him, wondering. It didn’t seem like that was the only thing he was nervous about, judging by how tense he still was. Maybe he had another dark secret to tell her, and he wanted to wait until they were somewhere in private so he could tell her!

She picked up the pace a little bit. Surprisingly, there wasn’t too much of a line in front of the Ferris wheel, so they were only a few people away from getting on. She clasped her hands behind her back and bounced on the balls of her feet. It was getting a bit darker, and the chilly wind had grown quite frigid. It also meant that the light was starting to fade from the sky, instead being replaced by the many lights of the amusement park. It felt more intimate, now that there were less people around. She was sure Gundham noticed as well, but neither of them said anything, even as they got into one of the boxes and sat down next to each other.

They started to rise off the ground, moving very slowly. It wasn’t until they were about halfway up that Sonia spoke.

“Are you sure that there isn’t anything bothering you, Gundham?” She asked, looking down at her hands in her lap. She didn’t think about it usually, but…with him, she worried that she’d done something wrong. That she had messed this up somehow.

They’d spent time together before this, of course. Usually after school, walking home together, chattering about nothing. But this was different. He’d specifically called it a ‘date’ when he requested that they go out together. And here? Something was definitely off. She wanted to get to the bottom of this.

“You’re not up to anything, are you?” She said somewhat playfully. He was turned away from her, looking out at the lights of the amusement park and the city, both sprawling out below them as they climbed higher and higher.

“Something _is_ bothering me.” He said after a long, quiet moment. Finally, he turned to her. It was nearly silent, as they were close to the tallest part of the wheel. His hair, carefully styled, was coming undone in the breeze. It was hard to see his face in the dark, but she could just barely make out his expression- brow furrowed, the corners of his mouth turned downwards in a frown. “You are my dearest friend, Sonia. Among mortals, you are the best that I’ve met.”

She flushed, turning sideways on the seat to face him, but keeping her gaze downward at where his hand rested at his side. “Thank you, Gundham. You’re no mortal, but I think you’re wonderful too. But that doesn’t tell me what’s bothering you.”

“I don’t want to be your friend.”

Her eyes widened, but she couldn’t bring herself to lift them up to his face. His voice was much less dramatic than usual. He really meant it. She felt her breath catch in her throat, and immediately her eyes dampened. She was about to gather herself to respond, when she felt a hand slip under her chin and lift her head up gently, so she had no choice but to meet Gundham’s eyes.

Before she could look away, she felt something press against her mouth.

It took her a moment to process what was happening. Her eyes shot wide open, and she felt a single tear slip down her cheek, though the sadness had disappeared, replaced with something more along the lines of shock, and…something else.

The kiss was over too fast, and he moved back, letting go of her chin. She reached up, gingerly touching her own mouth.

She mouthed, “oh.”

Gundham shifted around, clearly nervous after that. She couldn’t blame him- she was too, but she also felt a warmth blossoming in her chest that seemed to spread to every part of her body.

She turned back to him, eyes flickering across his face as she gave herself a moment to make up her mind. She reached out, putting her arms around his neck and closing the space between them again. He seemed surprised, but he didn’t move away, instead reaching out and putting his arms around her, pressing their torsos together slightly. She exhaled softly against him. This time, they lingered like that for a while, both of them shifting a bit to be closer together without breaking the kiss. She felt his long fingers gently brushing through her hair, and she wanted to melt into the feeling.

When their mouths finally separated, they remained very close, so when Gundham spoke, though it was soft, she could feel the rumble in his chest and the heat of his breath on her face. “Thank you.”

“I thought you said you wanted to see the view from up here.” She giggled softly.

“I did.” He paused. “That’s you.”

She raised her eyebrows, flushing, then giggled again. Cheesy, even for him, but she didn’t mind. She buried her face in his neck, and he hugged her a bit tighter.

They stayed like that until they were almost at the bottom of the Ferris wheel, when they both let go and moved back, suddenly awkward and flustered.

As they started to leave the theme park, Gundham reached out and took her hand. She laced their fingers together.

They left together.


End file.
